Chapter 5: The wedding

The most anticipated day was finally here, yet the morning felt unreal. The room buzzed with stylists, makeup artists, photographers adjusting their lenses, and assistants moving around with bouquets and fabric.

White.

Everything was white. White curtains, white roses, white dress.

Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, her fingers lightly brushing the delicate lace on her shoulder.

Her wedding day.

Her lips curved shyly at her reflection. She hadn't seen Tyler since that flirty chat, but she told herself it was normal; he was probably busy with wedding preparations, knowing how stressful and chaotic they could be.

Then her mind remembered the kiss. Her heart fluttered, her cheeks warmed at the memory of his text.

[ “ Get your lips ready for me.”]

She pressed her lips together softly, almost unconsciously.

Maybe he wanted today to be special, maybe he wanted their first kiss to be as husband and wife, and the mere thought alone made her chest swell.

“ It's time.” One of the photographers announced. “ Is the groom ready?” He asked.

“ Yes, he'll be in soon,” Ciara answered from outside.

Tessa’s pulse began to race, and her heart was beating almost faster than her breath.

This was it. Finally.

She blushed, eyes fluttering nervously as the door slowly creaked open.

Her breath hitched.

The room went quiet.

Polished shoes stepped in first.

Then a black tailored suit. Broad shoulders. Commanding presence. Aura so magnificent everyone's breath stuttered.

Her smile began forming…and…froze.

It wasn't Tyler who came in.

Her brow knitted together slowly.

Grayson Beaumont. Dressed in a groom's suit.

Her brain didn't immediately process it. It simply refused.

She blinked once. Twice.

Maybe she was nervous, maybe her eyes were playing tricks. But he kept walking forward. Calm. Composed. Like he belonged there, like this was his place.

Her heart began to pound, but not from excitement.

“ What ..” her voice came out thin. “ What are you doing here?” She looked behind him as if waiting for Tyler to come in or if he was hiding behind him.

Murmurs about Grayson's hotness began to spread through the room, but no one moved to correct anything.

Grayson stopped a few steps away from her. His sharp gaze traveled over her, not lustful or soft, it was assessing, possessive, and certain.

Her fingers curled against her bouquet. “ Why are you here? Where's Tyler?” She asked quickly, voice shaking.

“ Hi, Miss Tessa Monroe.” His voice came out soft, unhurried, with a tiny smirk that was so haunting.

Her chest skipped like a nightmare had come for a visit.

“ Is this some kind of joke?” She looked around but everywhere was silent.

Ciara and her parents stepped inside just then, smiling and grinning like something was not wrong. No one looked shocked, nor surprised.

“ Where is the groom?” She demanded, panic cracking through her tone.

The Beaumonts furrowed their brow in confusion.

“ What are you saying? That's your husband-to-be.” Ciara pointed.

“ No. No. Where's Tyler?” She raised her voice.

Grayson's jaw tightened slightly, but his voice, when he spoke, was calm. “ I am the groom.”

The words didn't register. She let out a small, breathless laugh.

“ No.” She shook her head. “ No, you're not. Tyler is the groom.” Her throat began to burn. “ This is my wedding. To Tyler.”

Grayson stepped closer, close enough she could see there was no humor in his eyes, only decision, inevitability.

“ Tyler was never going to marry you.”

The sentence shattered something inside her. Her ears rang, her fingers loosened and the bouquet slipped out of her hand.

“ What are you saying?” She whispered, her heart beating painfully hard against her ribs. “ No.” She shook her head again, more frantically. “ No, he..”

The kiss.

She thought, her chest tightened so violently she almost couldn’t breathe. She grabbed onto the edge of the dressing table to steady herself.

“This is wrong,” her voice broke. “This is wrong. Call him. Call Tyler. He’s probably late, he always..”

“ Tessy.” Tyler's voice ripped out of the people standing, watching. Her glassy eyes moved and landed on him standing beside Ciara.

His face was twisted with worry.

Her mind heaved heavily in relief as if the worst prank was finally over.

He rushed to her side, grabbed her wrist, and turned to Grayson.

“ Give us some minutes.” He said and dragged her out of the room before anyone could stop him.

“ What's going on?” Ciara asked Grayson in confusion, but he gave no response, he stood still, calmly, with his hands perfectly tucked in his pocket.

“ No one has changed.” He muttered to himself.

***.....

“ What's going on? Why is your cousin here as the groom?” Tessa asked the moment they stepped into the empty hallway, her voice already shaking. She needed him to laugh and say it was all a mistake.

Tyler chuckled softly. “ Cousin? Who said Grayson was my cousin?” He asked.

“ He.."

“..is my brother.” He cut in. “ My elder brother. Same father. Same mother.”

Her stomach dropped.

“ What?! But..but you never mentioned him.”

“ He's not relevant, and moreover he's barely around so what use is it mentioning him?” He shrugged like it was nothing.

" well it mattered now," her body shivered, her fingers curled into her dress. “So why is he here?”

Tyler tilted his head, studying her like she was something fragile and fascinating. “Come on, Tessy,” he said gently. “That’s the man you’re marrying.”

Silence.

“What do you mean the man I’m marrying?” Her voice cracked.

“Weren’t you told you’re marrying a Beaumont?”

“Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont’s son. And the only son I know is you.”

Tyler stared at her for a long second. Then something almost amused flickered in his eyes.

A slow breath left him. “Oh, Tessy…” he murmured, not shocked, not confused, just watching her unravel.

“But we never talked about marriage,” he continued calmly. “We talked about the wedding. The arrangement. You assumed.”

Her trembling lips parted, her heart squeezed so painfully she wanted to yell as if it would stop this nightmare.

Trembling, she said. “ I never use the word ‘us’ because I never wanted you to be uncomfortable, or pressured.” Her shaking voice said. “ But you knew."

Tears blurred her vision.

He didn’t deny it.

“You knew it wasn’t you I’d be marrying,” she choked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Tyler held her gaze. “Because you were happy,” he said quietly. “And I liked that you were happy… with me.”

She let out a broken laugh.

“Tessy,” he stepped closer, lowering his voice.

Her tears fell freely now. “You know how I feel about you, didn't you?” she demanded. “ You knew I thought it was you and you didn't say anything." Her lips quivered.

He exhaled slowly.“I know,” he admitted. No hesitation. “I know you love me.”

Her breath hitched.

“And I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel the same way about you,” he continued, voice smooth. “I do. You matter to me. More than anyone.”

Hope flickered in her eyes.

He swallowed, stared right into her eyes as he held her shoulder, and said. " But I won't marry you."

Something shattered in her.

" I don't want to lose you, Tessy." he continued. " Not for anything. If we date—we could break up, if we marry—we could divorce, and I'd rather have you always...than risk losing you completely."

Hot tears dropped down her cheeks. Her fists clenched so hard as she stared back at him.

“ So you're saying you love me?”

“ I do.” He nodded, trying to look as sincere as possible.

“ Yet, you'd let me marry your brother?”

“ No one cares about me, Tessy. No one ever chooses me.” His voice softened. “Everyone chooses him. But as long as you’re still mine… in the ways that matter… I don’t mind.”

“ Well, I do! I won't marry anyone that's not you, no I won't!”

For a split second, satisfaction flashed across his face, he smiled and made to reply when Laura's voice cut through the air.

“Tessa." She stepped forward and grabbed Tessa’s arm firmly. “I need to speak to my daughter.”

“ Sure.” He nodded and left to give them some privacy.

She glared at him as he walked away. She had heard most of their conversations and couldn't help but get annoyed about him not telling Tessa the truth about who she was marrying.

“ Tessa, sweetheart.” She called softly, turning back to her daughter.

“ Mum, I'm not marrying him.” She shook her head, shaking with tears smearing her makeup.

Laura gently held her hands. “ I'm sorry sweetheart, what I just saw made me realize you did not know who you were marrying. The moment we told you his family name you immediately accepted and said you knew him.”

She shook her head. “ Well, it's not too late, let's just cancel the wedding.”

No response.

She looked at her mother, “What?”

“ We can't,” Laura told her remorsefully.

Tessa pulled away. “ What do you mean by we can't?”

“This marriage will save us.” Colton, her father said from behind where he was standing.

“Save us?” she laughed brokenly. “By selling me?”

Her father’s jaw tightened. “Watch your tone. This is all because of your mistake, you were the one who claimed to already be best friends with the groom.”

Her tears fell faster now.

“ Colton,” Laura called cautiously but he ignored her.

“If you call off this wedding, the Beaumont deal collapses. We are on the verge of bankruptcy, Tessa. Do you understand that?”

She stared at him.

“We will lose everything.”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. “So I’m collateral?”

“It’s not like that.” Laura tried to convince.

“It is exactly like that!” she cried.

Her mother’s softened voice said desperately.“If this deal doesn’t go through today, we’re finished. The houses. The company. Everything.”

Her mind spun.

Her whole life, the comfort, the status, the stability — balancing on her answer.

“ But how can I marry someone I know nothing about when my heart beats for someone else?”

“You have no choice,” her father said finally, coldly.

That was it.

No choice.

Twelve years of loving her best friend all for nothing, the day he finally confessed his feelings for her was the same day she had to marry his brother, her boss. Not for love, but for money.

She turned away from everyone and wept bitterly.